Decorations, made using coloured fine powder or sand, are popular during Diwali. Also called Deepavali Observed by,, and Type Cultural, seasonal, religious Celebrations and lighting, home decoration, shopping, fireworks, (worship ceremonies), gifts, performing religious rituals, feast and sweets Begins Ends Date Varies per 2019 date 27 October (Sunday) in Southeast Asia: Singapore, and in,, Karnataka,, and Related to,,,,,,, Diwali, Deepavali or Dipavali is and festival of lights, which is celebrated every autumn in the northern hemisphere (spring in southern hemisphere). One of the most popular festivals of, Diwali symbolises the spiritual 'victory of light over darkness, good over evil and knowledge over ignorance.'

Light is a metaphor for knowledge and consciousness. During the celebration, temples, homes, shops and office buildings are brightly illuminated. The preparations, and rituals, for the festival typically last five days, with the climax occurring on the third day coinciding with the darkest night of the month. In the, the festival generally falls between mid-October and mid-November.

In the lead-up to Diwali, celebrants will prepare by cleaning, renovating, and decorating their homes and workplaces. During the climax, revellers adorn themselves in their finest clothes, illuminate the interior and exterior of their homes with (oil lamps or candles), offer puja (worship) to, the goddess of prosperity and wealth, light fireworks, and partake in family feasts, where mithai () and gifts are shared. Diwali is also a major cultural event for the Hindu and Jain diaspora from the Indian subcontinent. The five-day festival originated in the and is mentioned in early texts. The names of the festive days of Diwali, as well as the rituals, vary by region. Diwali is usually celebrated eighteen days after the (Dasara, Dasain) festival with, or the regional equivalent, marking the first day of the festival when celebrants prepare by cleaning their homes and making decorations on the floor, such as.

The second day is Choti Diwali, or equivalent in north India, while for Hindus in the south of India it is Diwali proper. Western, central, eastern and northern Indian communities observe Diwali on the third day and the darkest night of the traditional month. In some parts of India, the day after Diwali is marked with the Govardhan Puja and Diwali Padva, which is dedicated to the relationship between wife and husband. Some Hindu communities mark the last day as, which is dedicated to the bond between sister and brother, while other Hindu and Sikh craftsmen communities mark this day as and observe it by performing maintenance in their work spaces and offering prayers. Some other faiths in India also celebrate their respective festivals alongside Diwali.

The observe their own Diwali, which marks the final liberation of, the celebrate to mark the release of Guru from a prison, while, unlike other Buddhists, celebrate Diwali by worshiping Lakshmi. The festival of Diwali is an official holiday in,,, (except Sarawak),,,,,,,.

Diwali festivities include a celebration of sights, sounds, arts and flavours. The festivities vary between different regions. Diwali ( English: ) or Divali is from the dīpāvali meaning 'row or series of lights'. The conjugated term is derived from the Sanskrit words dīpa, 'lamp, light, lantern, candle, that which glows, shines, illuminates or knowledge' and āvali, 'a row, range, continuous line, series'. The five-day celebration is observed every year in early autumn after the conclusion of the summer harvest and coincides with the new moon, known as the amāsvasya – the darkest night of the. The festivities begin two days before amāsvasya, on Dhanteras, and extends two days after, the second day of the first fortnight of the month of Kartik.

According to Indologist, Constance Jones who specialises in religious sociology, this night ends the lunar month of Ashwin and starts the month of Kartika. The darkest night is the apex of the celebration and coincides with the second half of October or early November in the Gregorian calendar. The festival climax is on the third day and is called the main Diwali. It is an official holiday in about a dozen countries, while the other festive days are regionally observed as either public or optional restricted holidays in.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Each Scenario Advantages. Diwali Festival Essay In Telugu Language. Free Essay: These rituals for Indina festivals have been followed for past several centuries with the same respect that was used several hundred years ago.

In, it is also a multiday festival, although the days and rituals are named differently, with the climax being called the festival by Hindus and festival by Buddhists. History [ ] The Diwali festival is likely a fusion of harvest festivals in ancient India. It is mentioned in Sanskrit texts such as the, the both of which were completed in the second half of the 1st millennium CE. The diyas (lamps) are mentioned in Skanda Kishore Purana as symbolising parts of the sun, describing it as the cosmic giver of light and energy to all life and which seasonally transitions in the Hindu calendar month of Kartik. King Harsha refers to Deepavali, in the 7th century Sanskrit play, as Dīpapratipadotsava ( dīpa = light, pratipadā = first day, utsava = festival), where lamps were lit and newly engaged brides and grooms received gifts. Referred to Deepavali as Dipamalika in his 9th century Kavyamimamsa, wherein he mentions the tradition of homes being whitewashed and oil lamps decorated homes, streets and markets in the night. Diwali was also described by numerous travellers from outside India.